


Phantoms by Moonlight

by AussieRanga



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:33:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieRanga/pseuds/AussieRanga
Summary: After being sentenced to probation for assault, Ren Amamiya is forced to move to Tokyo to serve his sentence.With Tokyo being ground zero for major incidents from the past two years, it is the last place on Earth Ren wants to set foot in.If anything happens, hopefully, the Sailor Guardians will save the day like they always do.But Ren's only wish is that he doesn't get caught up in any supernatural nonsense so he can live out his probation in peace.





	1. Let us start the game

**This story is a non-profit, fan-based work of fiction.**

**Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.**

  **Sailor Moon is owned by Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi.**

**Persona 5 is owned by P-Studio and Atlus.**

**Please support the official releases.**

 *****

  **The world is not as it should be**.

**It's filled with distortion,**

**and “ruin” can no longer be avoided.**

  **Those who oppose fate and desire change...**

**From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.**

 *****

 

**??/??/????**

Kneeling atop of a chandelier, a young man looks down upon the confusion within the massive casino below. The wailing alarm sent the patrons running in all directions, bumping into and tripping over each other's feet. Not helping to calm this chaos are men in black suits, with sunglasses covering their eyes, that have begun to patrol the area.

“It's show time,” the young man says to himself as he stands up, smirking as he does so. Within no time at all, he begins to jump from chandelier to chandelier, while never breaking his smirk. The patrons below start to take notice of his presence, but they have a hard time keeping track of where he is going. Almost everyone in the crowd begins to look around the building in fear, trying to find whoever is jumping around.

“There's someone here,” one patron says as he looks around frantically, losing sight of the black blur he spotted a second ago.

As the young man keeps moving from one location to another, jumping from chandelier to chandelier, he notices the men in black suits below are searching for him. _It's time for me to make my debut._ He jumps to yet another chandelier, but he doesn't immediately jump to another. Instead, he stands up, holds a wire with his right hand for support and turns towards the crowd, looking upon them with his dark, grey eyes.

The patrons look up and they see a figure bathed in the light of the full moon. He is no longer a black blur to them. They can see his features clearly. His unkempt, raven hair, his cocky smirk, his black tailcoat with three coattails that almost reaches his ankles, flowing with the breeze, his grey collared shirt, his bright red gloves and his black and white domino mask are on full display.

“Hey, up there!” A patron below yells out, as he points to the young man. The men in black suits that are spread around the casino are now focused on the young man and are beginning to converge on him.

Satisfied with his performance, he leaps from the chandelier and continues his game of cat and mouse. _I've got the security's attention, now I just need a safe place for this so the others can collect it,_ he thinks as he quickly glances to the silver, metallic briefcase he has wrapped in his left arm. He then spots a walkway overlooking the casino, with an entrance to a ventilation shaft on the wall covered with a metal grate. _That'll do._

Wasting no time, he runs to the walkway with the briefcase clutched in both hands. He stretches his arms before him, holding the briefcase like a shield, and dives towards his destination. He is upside down by the time he lands, with the briefcase still in his hands. He then somersaults forward to the ventilation shaft's entrance and into an upright position, bringing the briefcase into the air before slamming it firmly on the ground in front of him.

Taking his hands off the briefcase and grabs the metallic grating covering the vent. Taking no effort at all, he rips off the grating and tosses it away. He then takes the briefcase and throws it into the shaft. _And my job is done._

He jumps back up to a chandelier, he then places his left index finger on a communication device that is inserted in his left ear. “The security is focused on me and I have hidden the treasure in a vent near my current location,” he says.

 _“Good. Now get running!”_ Stated a boyish voice coming from the device.

 _“This is our only chance!”_ Another male's voice says with a hint of charisma in his voice.

 _“Stay calm! You can get away now!”_ Says a young girl in a tone that contradicts her advice.

 _“How can we stay calm? We can't escape with this place swarming with shadows!”_ A girl exclaims in a voice so high pitched, it makes the raven-haired man slightly flinch.

 _“Don't panic Dreamer. We'll get through this.”_ Assured another female with a calm, tomboyish tone.

 _"_ W _e'll retrieve the briefcase on our end.”_ Spoke a serious sounding girl. After she said that, the young man hears a mysterious transmission. He believes he hears a man talking, but the quality of the transmission is so poor, he can't make anything out.

 _“Hm...? What was that...?”_ The young girl asks in a concerned tone. It seems his teammates heard that too.

 _"I_ _gnore it for now. We have to focus on our current situation.”_ Urged an intelligent sounding girl.

 _“Don't worry about us.”_ The boyish voice says, _“Just concentrate on getting away!”_

“Right,” the young man replies as he starts moving towards an emergency exit on a walkway not too far away. Once again jumping from chandelier to chandelier as he does so.

 _“But I have to say,”_ says the boyish voice, _“showing yourself above that crowd earlier was an excellent move. Nice work as always Joker.”_ The young man known as Joker chuckles at the compliment, while he's still on the move.

 _“It was completely unnecessary. It was nothing but him stroking his ego.”_ Another girl sneered.

 _“Lay off!”_ Exclaims a girl with a voice sounding like the serious girl's voice, but with a more giddy tone. _“I don't expect you to appreciate that awesome display of acrobatics. The jumps, the speed and the execution. It was so cool!”_

Joker smiles softly as he keeps moving, pleased with her response. “I'm glad you enjoyed it,” he replies.

 _“I bet Skull wouldn't pull it off that smoothly.”_ Says an energetic girl.

 _“This happens because you have no sense for aesthetics.”_ Replies a boy with a deep voice.

 _“Nobody asked you, Inari!”_ Shouted a vulgar sounding boy with a hint of annoyance.

Joker could not help but chuckle at this exchange as he makes a dash to the emergency exit, but he comes to a screeching halt as he sees men in black suits emerge from his escape route. “There he is!” Shouts one of the agents.

“Damn it!” Joker exclaims to his teammates with a look of concern. “My route has been cut off!”

 _“There is another one you can take.”_ Assures the intelligent girl. _“It's to your left. Head there now!”_

“Right!” Joker replies, regaining his smirk as he moves towards a series of arcs that lead to his new route. He begins to hop across each arc to reach his destination, with each arc lighting up as he hops on them.

 _“Ok, the enemy's focus is on him.”_ Says the boyish voice. _“Looks like the rest of us can slip away.”_

 _“Everyone remember where we're meeting up?”_ Asks a girl with a hint of elegance in her voice.

 _“No worries,”_ the young girl replied, _“I can guide you all.”_

After hopping the series of arcs, Joker jumps up and vaults over a railing and lands onto an indoor balcony. He makes a mad dash to a flight of stairs in front of him but once again, he stops dead in his tracks upon seeing more men in black suits. This time the men morph into more muscular forms, with black skin, yellow eyes and blue masks covering their faces.

Joker has a look of concern for a brief moment until another mutated agent jumps in behind him. Joker turns to the muscular monster as he thinks, _Looks like I'll have to fight my way out._

 _“Take 'em down, Joker!”_ Exclaims the giddy girl, encouraging him. A gesture which causes him to grin like a madman.

“With pleasure!” Joker affirms as he leaps forward to the guard in front of him, landing on his back. Joker grabs the guard's mask and with almost no effort rips it off. He backflips off the guard's back as the guard turns into a pile of black and red goo. Emerging from the goo is a tall, mechanical, Minotaur-like monstrosity.

 _“Comparing power levels_...” The young girl says as a combat knife appears in Joker's right hand. _“No threat. Get 'em Joker!”_

Joker smirks as he places his left hand over his mask and blue flames then begin to appear over his mask. “Persona!” Joker shouts as the blue flames grow more restless, but the blue flames suddenly dissipate, leaving Joker in a state of fear and concern. “Damn it, not again!” He shouts, “Why now?”

 _“What's wrong Joker?”_ The giddy girl asks Joker with concern in her voice.

“My gun jammed!” He lied. Joker couldn't think of a better excuse as he was too busy dodging the mechanical Minotaur’s attacks.

“This'll hurt!” The mechanical Minotaur yells out as he raises his legs up, now standing on his tail. Suddenly, a pillar of fire erupts from underneath Joker, being unable to dodge it.

“Ugh!” Joker yells in pain, but since he didn't get burns from the attack, he is able to quickly walk it off. He was used to being attacked with these types of attacks, but he wants to make sure to return the pain back to his foe. “Take this!” He yells, dashing towards the Minotaur with his knife in his right hand. He begins to continuously swing his knife at the monster as his body dances around, slashing him multiple times. Once finished with his attack, Joker rolls backwards, away from the Minotaur and into a kneeling position, pulling out a pistol while he is doing so. Joker aims and fires at his enemy, causing the Minotaur to fall over.

 _I have an opening._ Joker thinks as he stands up. His gun disappears into flames. He once again places his left hand on his mask, “Persona!” He yells once more, with the blue flames reappearing, but this time his mask is engulfed by the blue flames. The flames grew larger, then a large creature emerged from the flames. It was a darkened figure, with its only noticeable features was its crimson face and its large wings. Joker's smirk came back at the appearance of the beast behind him.

“Ravage them!” Joker yells out. Swiftly the creature flies towards the downed Minotaur, and performs a roundhouse kick, using its bladed heels to slice the monster in half, with it disintegrating immediately after.

 _“Ok, pull out before their backup gets here.”_ The young girl informs Joker. The winged creature then disappears into blue flames, with Joker's mask reappearing on his face as the flames finally dissipating. His knife also disappears into blue flames.

 _“Good.”_ The boyish voice says to Joker. _“You defeated them with ease!”_

 _“More of them!?”_ Exclaims the young girl. _“Be careful!”_

Suddenly three more guards materialise right in front of Joker, with one of them wielding an electrified baton. He lunges forward and swings the baton but Joker manages to dodge the attack with a backflip. He briefly glances at the guards, taunting them with a smirk, before jumping up to a higher floor.

 _“Joker, behind you!”_ Says the young girl. _“Go through that door!”_ He nods as follows his team mate’s directions. He is lead through a staff passageway, with signs plastered all over the walls, the writing on them that alludes to winning and success. Joker sneaks past more men in black suits as he moves towards his destination. He sneaks past a window peering in a security room. One of the people their states that Joker isn't the only one there and to kill them on sight. Joker continues toward his exit, climbing up a few flights of stairs, with more signs placed everywhere on the walls around him.

Joker then exits through a door, coming to a stop on a railing that prevented him from falling to the floor below. _“Something wrong?”_ The young girl asks him. _“The exit should be up ahead.”_

“Through there...?” Joker asks back, as he looks ahead to a massive window, made of stained glass.

 _“Nnh...! That's just how it is.”_ Answers the young girl, sounding slightly apologetic. _“After that commotion, the bottom floors--”_

 _“--completely closed off.”_ Said the energetic girl, interrupting the young girl. _“Hey, can you make it!?”_

Joker smiles at the question, taking it as a challenge. “Over There!” He hears a man's voice yells out. He turns his head to see that three men in black suits are behind him, aiming their pistols at him. “There's nowhere to run!” The men move closer to Joker, never aiming their guns away from him.

Joker smiles at them, he then hops on to the railing, and runs on it, towards the massive window. The patrons below notice him run, as his trench coat flows in the wind like a cape. He stops in front of the window, looking towards the men in black suits who are running towards him. He smirks at them, “See ya!” He yells out to them, taunting them. Joker then leaps towards the window, placing his arms in front of his head to brace himself. He shatters the glass. He emerges outside of the casino free falling, unharmed from smashing into the glass.

 _“Hmph... What a show-off.”_ The young girl scoffed.

 _“You're so reckless. You know that?”_ The energetic girl scolds him.

 _"But it's so cool!”_ The giddy girl compliments Joker.

Joker positions himself upright as approaches the ground. He lands on his feet, followed by a roll to lessen the impact. He gets up from his crouched position but before he could make his escape, he was blinded by a light. Raising an arm in front of his face to block out the light. As he begins to see a little more clearly, he lets out a gasp of shock. In front of him are people in body armour, wielding riot shields and red and blue lights belonging to police cars. They were waiting for him.

“ _Enemies, here!?”_ The young girl exclaims before all of his teammates yell over one another, concerned for their cornered leader.

“Capture him!” One of the cops yells out. Joker sprints to his right, with the officers closing in. The spotlights continue to tail Joker. He then sees a fire escape ladder. He jumps up to it and begins to climb it. He looks down to the officers, smirking and chuckling at them as he climbs the ladder. Sensing he is at the top of the ladder, Joker looks up but is shocked to see that more cops are waiting for him. One of the cops smacks Joker with the butt of his assault rifle, causing him to fall off the ladder and into the sea of police officers.

As soon as he lands, the cops waste no time in restraining him. “Suspect secured!” Yells out one of the cops holding Joker down. He hears footsteps approach him. He looks up and sees a man in a suit, looking down at him.

“Didn't expect to find some kid.” The man says. He kneels down, then pulls Joker's head slightly of from the ground by his hair. “You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out.”

Joker gasps aloud at this revelation. But he doesn't get to think about it for long as the cops restraining him move to place him in handcuffs.

“Suspect confirmed! Cuff him!”

* * * * *

**November 2016**

**The leader of the 'Phantom Thieves' is arrested**

 * * * * *

In a small, dark room, handcuffed to a chair and surrounded by three men in suits, the young man sits unconscious. The suit he had on in the casino has been replaced by his school uniform, dirtied where the men have kicked him. Empty syringes litter the floor around him. Bruises and scratch marks cover his face, and his wrists are rubbed raw where the handcuffs dug into his flesh. There's no doubt he's been tortured.

“I guess the drugs were too strong.” Says one of the men in suits, walking up to the unconscious boy. “Wake him up.” A second man throws water from a bucket at the young man. The young man then slowly opens his eyes. He looks up and takes in his surroundings while shivering from the freezing water that was just splashed on him. “No dosing off.” Says the spook. The young man then feels that his hands are cuffed together. He begins to panic, his breathing becomes rapid and shallow. He tries to free his hands from the cuffs but isn't successful.

“You still don't get it, do you?” The young man stops struggling as he looks to the spook in front of him. “Give it up!” He yells as he kicks the chair over, knocking the young man off it. As he lands on the cold, wet floor; he lets out a shout of pain. Before he could reorientate himself, the spook places his foot on his head, pinning it to the floor. “Come on, cooperate.” He demanded. “Or do you want another shot?”

The young man, with his head still pinned to the floor, looks towards the security camera one of the corners of the room. Wondering why these men are treating him this way in front of the device. “Huh?” The spook wonders, turning his head towards the direction the young man was looking at, “What about the camera?” He takes his foot off the young man's head, knees down, and pulls his head up by grabbing him by the hair. “Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?”

“What do you mean?” The young man asks the spook, struggling to get the words out of his mouth.

“You still haven't figured it out?” The spook replied, annoyed. He slams the young boy's head down to the floor and stands back up. “There are no laws here that will protect criminals like you!” The spook shouts out as he kicks the young man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He violently coughs and wheezes, desperately trying to get oxygen to return to his lungs.

Ignoring the sounds of pain on the floor, the spook walks towards the third man in a suit, who hands him a clipboard that has a few sheets of paper attached. He then starts reading aloud its contents, “Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons.” He turns his head to the young man, who is still writhing in pain from the kick, “Murder too, yeah? Talk about the works.” He says sarcastically as he turns his body towards the young man. “ To think all of those crimes were led by a punk like this. And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it.”

 _I was... enjoying it...?_ The young man thinks, trying to remember what happened before he ended up here. _Every thing’s hazy... I can't remember..._

The spook shakes his head, “You should know your place.” He looks once more at the clipboard. “So, what's your name?” He asks, looking back at the young man.

“Huh?”

“Your name, you little shit! What's your fucking name!?” He yells, demanding the young man answer the question. The young man looks down at the floor in response. “Well, if you're not willing to talk, then your friends will suffer instead.”

The young man shoots his eyes up after hearing that, “What?”. This response causes the main spook to walk up to him and grab him by his hair once again.

“'He's bluffing!'" The spook sneered, "'They only caught me!' Is that what you want to say, right? That's fine. It's up to you, whether you believe me or not.”

 _I can't put my friends through this,_ _especially her._ A blurry image flashes in his mind of a young woman with long, blond hair, tied with a red bow.

“My...” The young man struggles to get the words out of his mouth. “... My name is Ren Amamiya.”

The spook lets go of Ren, letting him drop in the puddle of water. He turns towards the other two men in suits and motions his head. They move to Ren with one of them kneeling down and unlocking his handcuffs. The two men then grab his arms then throws him on his arse. Ren rubs his marked wrist with his opposite hand as if he's trying to comfort himself.

The main spook walks up to him and shows him the clipboard, “Sign here, Amamiya.” He demanded. “It's a confession under your name.” Ren instantly swats the clipboard away from his face. “I see.” The spook stands up, “I need your hand to sign this, but...” He then stomps on Ren's leg, he screams out in pain. “... I don't care if you end up losing a leg.” Declared the spook. He takes his foot off Ren's leg and hands him the clipboard.

Ren takes the clipboard. The spook gives him a pen to write with. As Ren is taking the pen, the spook moves close to him, invading his personal space. “Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece.” the spook threatens Ren. “We're going to make you understand; one must take full responsibility for their actions.” The spook moves out of Ren's space as he grabs the pen and signs his name.

* * * * *

The sound of high heels echoes throughout the underground hallway, coming from a young woman wearing a business suit. She walks down the end of the hallway, her mauve red eyes locked on a metal door. She is then stopped by one of the men guarding it; a well-dressed detective.

"Excuse me, but this area is off--"

"I'm Niijima from the Public Prosecutors Office." The woman interrupts.

"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?" The detective makes no attempt to hide his annoyance.

"Just let me through; it's urgent." Niijima also makes no attempt at hiding her annoyance either. After all, she has a job to do. "There's something I need to confirm with the suspect."

"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction. Besides--" Before the detective can say anything else, he is interrupted by an older detective, coming from behind Niijima.

"Are you Prosecutor Sae Niijima?" He asks. Sae turns to face him and nods; answering his question. He hands her a mobile phone, the screen showing that a call is on hold. "There's a call from your director. Hurry and get it over with. To be frank, you're being an inconvenience." She held back a scowl as she took the phone from the smug detective. She took the call off hold and immediately heard her boss let out an annoyed sigh.

 _"I thought I ordered you to stand by."_  The director isn't hiding his annoyance either.

"I'm responsible for this case, yet I'm not being allowed an interrogation!?" She begins to shout as the last of her patience disappears.

_"I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up."_

"I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is  **my** case."

 _"I never win when you're like this,"_ the director replies in defeat,  _" so I went ahead and cleared it with them. Good luck, though I won't be expecting much."_ She hangs up the phone and hands it back to the smug detective. She begins to walk towards the interrogation room. 

"Ah, Prosecutor. I forgot to mention something important." The older detective says, causing Sae to stop and turn slightly to him. "Your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk with him for long." She looks down in annoyance at this revelation. "It's for your own safety. His methods are unknown. After all, we don't know if it's safe to simply meet and speak with him."

"I understand." She responds, not being able to argue with that logic. She continues to the door to the interrogation room. The police officer guarding the door opens the door, revealing Ren sitting on a chair, in front of a metal table. He is leaning on the table, groaning in pain. The sight of this slightly disturbs her, but walks in the room, with the guard closing the door behind her, leaving only her and Ren in the barely lit room.

"I didn't expect it to be you." She says to him, walking up to the empty seat in front of the table and sits down.

"Where are the others?" Ren softly asks her as he looks up, revealing the multiple scratches and bruises on his face. 

"They weren't caught." She replies to him, as she takes out a large folder from her handbag, that she placed on the table. "You're the only one who's been apprehended."

He lets out a sigh of relief.  _Thank god, they're safe._ His thoughts are interrupted by a sharp pain in his head. He grabs his head and groans in pain. Sae reaches over in concern, only to notice the floor littered with empty syringes. 

"Those bastards." She snapped. She looks back at Ren, still grasping his head with his hand. She begins to explain to him, "Can you hear me? It seems you been through a lot. Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either." Ren looks up at her as she continues, "What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident? I didn't think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution. It's because I couldn't figure out the method behind it."

"Of course you couldn't." Ren finally replies, almost whispering his words.

"True," Sae says back. "There's no way I could be convinced of such a  **'world'** just by reading the reports. Although considering what has happened in the past few years, maybe it doesn't sound as far fetched." She flicks some of her ashen brown hair out of her eyes. "At least you're coherent. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another's heart? Tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning."

"I--" Is all Ren can painfully say before being interrupted but a young, feminine voice.

 **"You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance."** Ren looks up to see that everything around him has disappeared, with the only thing he can see is a shining blue butterfly flying above him.  **"This is truly an unjust game. Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you. I beg you. Please overcome this game, and save the world. The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds. The truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day. When the game was started half a year ago. For the sake of your world's future, as well as your own, you must remember."**

The butterfly flies off as everything within the room once again becomes visible to Ren. He looks to Sae and begins to tell his story, feeling slightly more energetic to speak.

"Ok Niijima-san, I will tell you everything."

 

#  _À Suivre_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first proper attempt at writing fanfiction. I have not written stories outside of school projects so I won't be the best writer when it comes to this, but I do plan on taking writing classes so I can improve. My main goal at the moment is to at least not take 3 weeks to write a single chapter.  
> This fic will be a retelling of Persona 5's story with the characters and lore of Sailor Moon integrated, more specifically from the manga where the characters and story are more fleshed out. I will be using Crystal's time period as it lines up with Persona 5.  
> The narrative itself will have deviations from the canon game both minor and major.  
> I have kept the prologue familiar because it gives me more time to flesh out the story ahead of time.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this for now and I hope you will leave any criticism for the story you may have in the comments below.
> 
> Also big thanks to the guys at the r/fanfiction discord for helping me get my fic off the ground. You guys were a big help.


	2. Act 1: Ren Amamiya- Joker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren arrives in Tokyo to begin serving his sentence. But strange things start happening as soon as he arrives.

 

_It happened so fast._

“ _Please, help!”_

_One moment I was stopping a drunk man assaulting a woman._

“ _I said, back off!”_

_The next he ends up getting hurt due to my actions._

“ _Damn brat, I'll sue!”_

 

* * * * *

 

**Saturday, 9/4/2016**

**Afternoon**

**Tokyo**

 

Ren gasps as he widens his eyes. His breathing becomes rapid and his heart rate follows suit. He looks around and takes in his surrounds. He is on a train, filled with students, workers and other commuters. After seeing this his breathing and heart rate return to a steady pace.

 _Another nightmare._ Ren breathes deeply. _I've been having more of them since that night._ He exhales. Ren catches a glimpse at the news bulletin above the doors in front of him.

'Who are the Sailor Guardians? Tokyo's protectors or bringers of destruction?'

 _Typical of tabloid journalism._ Ren sighed. _It doesn't matter if the writer was saved by the Sailor Guardians, he'll still throw them under the bus._ Ren admires them, for the past two years they have protected people from eldrich monstrosities and looked cool at the same time. _I wouldn't mind seeing them in action._ He then thinks about the monsters they end up fighting. _But maybe I should just avoid trouble._ Ren looks back at the bulletin and reads the next headline.

'Juvenile delinquency on the rise! Are our laws too soft?'

Ren frowns. The headline only served to remind him of what has happened in the past few months. A tear forms in the corner of his eye. He takes off his glasses as he wipes off the tear. He puts his glasses back on his face as he hears the train announcer.

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly.”_ The female voice announces. Ren stands up from his seat, grabs his blue duffel bag from the overhead compartment above him, and begin to carry it off his shoulders. _“This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines.”_ Ren moves in front of the doors he was sitting beside.

“What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?” A girl's voice behind him exclaims. He turns his head and sees two air-headed school girls talking a bit too loudly.

“It's the truth!” The other girl replies.

“To a person though? That's gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?” The two girls giggle as Ren turns his head back and looks out the window.

 _A mental shutdown, huh?_ Ren thinks as the train slows down. _It sounds like a medical problem rather than something supernatural._ The train has almost stopped. _Either way, it's not something I'm worried about._ The train has come to a complete stop at the station.

“ _The doors to your left will open.”_ On the announcer's command, the doors in front of Ren opens. He takes a deep breath before stepping off the train. He takes his phone out of his right pocket and opens up the GPS app.

“From here, it's just a short walk to station square,” Ren mutters as he walks to his destination.

 

* * * * *

 

**Shujin High School**

**Aoyama-Itchome**

 

“Next Wednesday is the Volleyball rally,” A woman with dark brown hair announces to her classroom, “normal classes won't be taking place and attendance is mandatory.” A few students then began to whisper among themselves in response.

“We finally get to see Kamoshida-sensei in action.”

“We're gonna get destroyed out there.”

“At least we don't have any classes.”

Among the quiet chatter, an annoyed groan is heard, coming from the back of the class. A couple of students turn their heads towards the source; a girl with long, blond hair tied with a red bow. She rests her head on her left hand while she looks out the window, with her blue eyes half open.

“Okay, settle down.” The tired teacher commands the students. The whispers stop and most of them look at the teacher. “Kamoshida-sensei wants to emphasise that the rally is to promote teamwork and good sportsmanship. And above all else he wants all of you to have fun...”

“Bullshit.” The girl with the red bow mutters. No one hears her; the teacher continues with her talk. The girl's face tenses up. _It's bad enough that I have to see his face every day, but to now he feels the need to show-off._ She clenches her right fist. _If it were up to me, I'd transform into Sailor Venus, and use my Love-me chain to rip his fucking balls off._ At that moment, her phone in her blazer's pocket vibrates. She takes the phone out of her pocket and unlocks it. It was a text message from one of her closest friends.

 **Usagi T:** Are you ok Minako-chan? You look upset.

Minako's face relaxes as she looks towards the front of the class, towards her friend, Usagi Tsukino. She wasn't hard to spot. She also had blue eyes and long blond hair that reaches her knees. What makes her stick out, even more, is her hairstyle, which is a twin pigtail tied into an odango. Usagi looks at Minako with a look of concern on her face.

 **Minako A:** I'm fine, just something on my mind.  
**Usagi T:** Do you want to talk about it?

Typical of Usagi, she worries about her friend's problems, no matter how trivial they are.

 **Minako A:** I said I'm fine, just don't worry about it.

 **Usagi T:** That just makes me worry more.

 **Minako A:** Well you shouldn't. It's not your problem.

 **Usagi T:** Is it about Kamoshida?

 **Minako A:** I told you it's not your problem! You're starting to piss me off!

 **Usagi T:** Don't say that. I just wanted to help.

After seeing her response, Minako glances at Usagi, who is visibly upset and is on the verge of crying. _What's wrong with me?_ Usagi is her friend, her princess. Minako knew that Usagi hated seeing her friends upset. She feels miserable now.

 **Minako A:** I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have said that.

 **Usagi T:** Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?

 **Minako A:** I'm not sure.

 **Usagi T:** Fine. Just do it when you're ready.

 **Minako A:** Ok. And about what I said before, I truly am sorry about that.

 **Usagi T:** I forgive you, I know you didn't mean it. Stress can get the better of you.

 **Minako A:** I still want to make it up for you.

 **Usagi T:** Then how does an afternoon at Fruits with the girls sound?

 **Minako A:** Ok! I will text Rei-chan to let her know to meet us there after school.

 **Usagi T:** Not today. Ami-chan and Mako-chan have clubs today.

 **Minako A:** And Rei-chan?

 **Usagi T:** I think her archery club is on today.

 **Minako A:** What about you?

 **Usagi T:** I'm skyping Mamo-chan after school.

 **Minako A:** Fiiiiiinnnnnnnne. We'll go tomorrow.

 **Usagi T:** Cool.

Minako looks towards Usagi and sees her smiling. Content with their plans for tomorrow, she puts her phone back into her blazer's pocket, noticing Usagi doing the same thing. They once again pay attention to the teacher, who was talking throughout their conversation.

“And finally, a transfer student will be arriving on Monday, and he will be attending this class for the year.”

 _A transfer student, hm?_ Minako looks toward the empty desk to her left. She smiles as she imagines what he looks like.

 

* * * * *

 

**Shibuya Crossing**

 

Ren looks up from his phone as he stops walking, gazing upon the famous Shibuya Crossing. He sees people scattering all over the street, like a colony of ants gathering around littered food. And the noise from the cars, people and music are almost deafening. Ren stares at the massive crowd. He gulps loudly and his breathing slightly speeds up. _It's even more crowded than Mum said it was._ Before he panics, Ren closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He hated crowds back in his hometown, but this is something else. Still, he needed to press on.

*Pi Pi Pi*

Ren opens his eyes at the notification sound coming from his phone. He looks down at the screen, to find an app had been installed without his consent. The app's icon looks like cracked, red glass with some eyeball in the middle of it. _What is this?_ The icon enlarges itself, covering most of the home screen. Ren touches the icon, trying to open the app, but it doesn't open.

Everything around Ren suddenly goes quiet. He looks up and is shocked to find that everything had stopped moving as if time itself had frozen. He begins to panic, his heart rate and breathing accelerate, he frantically looks around, trying to find anyone else that isn't stuck in time. He then sees a blue fire across the street, growing in size. Ren's eyes widen in fear as he steps away from the flame. “What is going on!?” He asks loudly, but no one listens.

“ **I am Thou,”** Ren hears a voice similar to his, only deeper. He can't tell if it's coming from somewhere in the crowd or from in his head.

“ **Thou Art I.”** The voice continues. Ren stumbles backwards when he sees the flame morph into a discernible shape. It looks like a winged creature.

“ **Thou art full of fear** , **”** Ren notices a human-like figure standing before the flames. He seems to be wearing a black coat. The only facial features Ren makes out is the figure's black hair. Ren continues to slowly walks backwards. **“Could it be that you believe your decision,”** The black coated figure looks up, revealing his face looking exactly like Ren. **“was a mistake?”** Ren is shocked at the doppelganger's appearance, his bright yellow eyes and toothy grin are the prominent features Ren could make out before a bright flash comes from the flames. Blinded, Ren steps backwards, bumping into a businessman.

“Hey, kid! Watch where you're going!” At that moment, Ren's sight returns to see that the flow of time has returned, so has the deafening sound of the crowds and cars. Still breathing rapidly and his eyes full of fear, he looks for the fiery demon and his doppelganger, but both of them were nowhere to be found.

Ren leans against a wall and attempts to calm his breathing while he tries to comprehend what just happened. Was it a monster attack? Why would it stop time for everyone in Shibuya but him? Was it a mental shutdown? That thing the girls on the train mentioned. Was it a hallucination? Ren didn't know. His hands are shaking, he nearly drops his phone because of it.

Ren tries to calm himself. He slows down his breathing and his hands slowly stop shaking. _I'm just seeing things, I haven't gotten that much sleep in days._ He rationalises to himself. He spent the last few weeks preparing his move to Tokyo with little rest. Ren looks at his phone and notices the time. _I should get going. I don't want to upset Sakura-san by being late._ He deletes the mysterious app without a second thought and begins to walk towards the crossing.

 

* * * * *

 

**Yongen-Jaya**

 

Yongen-Jaya seems like a district that Tokyo forgot about. It's not that populated and most of the store shutters are closed, despite being in the afternoon. Ren notes that the area is surprisingly quiet compared to the rest of the city. He was told by his mother to meet his guardian, Sojiro Sakura, at the cafe he owns. It wasn't too hard to locate. After entering the intimate backstreets of Yongen, Ren took the first right turn and it was on his left just a few metres, across from a bathhouse.

Cafe Leblanc is a store that doesn't stick out. Its sign above the entrance wasn't anything fancy, just plain text on a red and white background saying what store it is and what it served: 'Coffee & Curry.'

Ren spent nearly two minutes staring at Leblanc's door. He was unsure what awaited him on the other side. He wanted to run away, go back home, hide somewhere, do anything but go inside, but he doesn't have any other choice. He either obeys the rules and guidelines that are laid out for him, or he loses the little freedom he has left. This is his life now. Ren steels himself and enters the cafe.

As Ren enters Leblanc, the first thing that hits him is the overwhelming scent of coffee. The shelves behind the counter are stacked with various coffee beans, there are devices on the bar, from the other end of the store heating up coffee, and there is an elderly couple sitting at a booth enjoying their cups of coffee.

Leblanc itself looks like it was built in the 1980s. It definitely invokes a feeling of nostalgia from Ren, despite him not being around during the '80s. There were a few booths to the left of the cafe and a bar with stools to the right. The only thing that seemed out of place was the flat screen tv at the other end of the store. It was playing some tabloid show, with its volume at full blast.

“ _A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!”_ The male host exclaims. _“The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up!”_

“How frightening.” The elderly man reacts to this news.

“What could be going on?” The elderly woman sitting across from him asks with concern. “Didn't something similar happen just the other day?”

“Vertical is...the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls...” Says a voice, disinterested at the conversation the elderly couple is having. Ren looks to where the voice came from. It came from a middle-aged man sitting on a barstool. He is wearing a pink shirt, beneath a black apron. His hair is a slick black, though it is receding, and his beard neatly connects to his goatee.

Ren wonders if he is Sojiro Sakura. “Excuse me,” Ren says to the man, attempting to get his attention. The man glances at him over his glasses.

“Oh, right.” the man said, sounding annoyed. He places his newspaper on the bar and stands up from his stool. “They did say that was today.”

As if on queue, the elderly couple stood up from their seats and are preparing to leave. “We'll be going now. The payments on the table.” Says the elderly man.

“Thanks for coming.” The bearded man replies, sounding somewhat grateful for the business.

“This place is in the back alley, so there are no worries of a car crashing here.”

The bearded man widens his eyes at the odd statement. “A what now?”

“There's been a string of those rampaging accidents.” The elderly man calmly answers. “I just hope that none happen around here.”

The bearded man's expression relaxes. “It's none of my concern.”

The elderly man chuckles at his reply. “We'll see you next time.” The elderly couple walks out of the cafe.

The bearded man rubs his forehead as he lets out an annoyed sigh. “Four hours for a single cup of coffee.” The man looks at Ren. It seems like he views him as an inconvenience. What else is new? “I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one?” The man asks.

“I'm Ren Amamiya.” Ren politely says, trying to make a good first impression. “Are you Sakura-san?”

“Yeah.” He confirms. “I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year.”

“I appreciate it.” Ren bows. “Thank you for taking me in.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sojiro replies, sounding indifferent to the whole situation. He turns around and begins to walk to the back of the store, and motions Ren to follow. “Anyway, come with me.”

Ren follows Sojiro to the back of the cafe. They climb some stairs into the cafe's attic. Ren is confused. Why is he being shown the store's attic? It's a mess. There's dust and cobwebs everywhere, the shelves and desk are littered with old books, and the table beside the couch is covered with nothing but newspapers. And on top of that, the room is massive, it would be a pain in the arse to clean.

Ren then noticed the box he sent that is full of necessities from his home. _Why is my stuff in this filthy attic?_

“This is your room.” Sojiro seemingly answering Ren's mental question.

Ren widens his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was bad enough that he was forced to move away from home, and now he has to spend the next year in an attic. _It never ends._

“I'll at least give you sheets for your bed.” Said Sojiro. Ren could hardly call it a bed. It was just some cheap mattress placed on top of plastic crates. Sojiro turns to Ren, “You look like you wanna say something.”

Ren had several things he wanted to say, about the state of the room, about his 'bed', and the fact that it wasn't even tidied up in the slightest before he arrived, as if Sojiro had forgotten about the arrangement until today. However, “It's big.” Was all Ren could meekly say.

“You'll have to clean up the rest,” Sojiro replied. “I lock the place after I leave each night. You'll be alone at night, but don't think about doing anything stupid. I will kick you out if you cause any trouble. Understand?”

The sudden harsh tone catches Ren off guard. “Yes, sir.” He meekly replied.

“Good, now then,” Sojiro continues, “I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man that was forcing himself on her, he got injured in the process and sued you. Right?” Ren confirms this with a meek nod. “That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults.” Ren looks down at the floor, trying his best not to show his feelings. Sojiro is just repeating what he had already heard from everyone else from the past few months.

Sojiro continues. “And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your mother also approved. In other words, she got rid of you for being a pain in the arse.” Sojiro's harsh words served as a reminder of what happened to Ren. He tries to remain expressionless. He tries to hold back the tears.

“Just behave yourself for the year.” Sojiro's tone softens. “If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted.”

“A whole year...” Ren softly said.

“Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anyway, we'll be going to Shujin High School tomorrow. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There is rarely a place that will accept someone like you.” Sojiro sighed with annoyance. “What a waste of my Sunday.” He then left and went back downstairs, leaving Ren alone in his new room.

Ren places his duffel bag on top of his box. He then slowly walks to the bed as he unbuttons his blazer. He sits on the bed, which he found uncomfortable, as he expected from a mattress placed on top of plastic crates. He looks out towards the rest of the room. Ren takes it all in, the floor is so dusty he can see his footprints, the cobwebs scattered all around the ceiling and the trash littered everywhere.

“So, this is my life now,” Ren says to himself. He lowers his head, thinking of what happened to him in the past few months. He just wanted to help that woman, now he's being treated like the trash of society.

“ _That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults.”_

Sojiro's words echo in Ren's mind. He should've ignored it, but...

“ _Stop it! Let me go!”_

Her cries of help were filled with the most genuine tone of terror he had ever heard in his life...

“ _Please help!”_

He couldn't have ignored it, even if he wanted to. But Sojiro's words still echo in his mind. Ren begins to think that maybe he shouldn't have intervened. If that never happened, he would still be in his hometown, with his mother. He would still have a future ahead of him. _But would I be able to live with the guilt?_ Ren doesn't know what to think.

“ _ **Could it be that you believe your decision was a mistake?”**_

The words of Ren's doppelganger pop up in his head. He slides off the bed and sits on the dusty floor, resting his back on the bed. Tears begin to build up in his eyes.

 _A mistake?_ Ren's mind wanders once again to what happened after his arrest. The mere thought of those events makes him want to cry. _Don't cry._ He was given a criminal record that labelled him as a menace to society. _Don't cry._ He was expelled from his school. _Please don't cry._ His friends and family cut ties to him. _Sakura-san will hear you, please don't._ He made his mother cry. _Don't do it._ And he was forced to live in an overpopulated hell alone as punishment for his deeds, with the risk of being killed by whatever monster decides to attack. All because he tried to help someone he didn't know. _Please._ Was what he did a mistake? Ren didn't know. _Don't._ There was only one thing he knew. _Cry._

“I want to go home.” Tears begin to drop from his eyes as he breaks into a sob. He tries to stop but he couldn't. He takes off his glasses so it doesn't catch any tears. He has never been so scared in his life. He's all alone.

*Pi Pi Pi*

Ren hears his phone go off. He takes it out of his pocket. He sees someone texted him, the first person to text him in weeks, but he can't see who texted him. His tears are making his vision blurry. He dries his eyes with his sleeve while he opens the text. He sees the text clearly when his vision clears up.

 **Asuka A:** Did you arrive in Tokyo safely?

It was his mother. Ren couldn't believe it, she actually contacted him.

 **Ren A:** Yes. I am at Sakura-san's place right now.

 **Asuka A:** I'm glad you're safe.

 **Ren A:** Thanks, Mum. After everything that's happened, I thought you wouldn't care about me.

 **Asuka A:** Don't you dare think that! At the end of the day, you are still my little Ren-bo and despite everything that happened, I still love you more than anything on this Earth.

Ren becomes ecstatic at that text. He smiles for what feels like the first time in months and he cries tears of joy. _She still loves me._

 **Ren A:** Thanks.

 **Asuka A:** I have some work to do, so I will talk to you later.Please don't give up. If not for you, then for me. And live up to the Amamiya name.

 **Ren A:** I will. I love you, Mum.

 **Asuka A:** I love you too Ren-bo.

 

* * * * *

 

**Evening**

 

Ren is wearing his pyjamas and he's brushing his teeth in Leblanc's bathroom, getting ready for bed. He spent the afternoon cleaning his new room. It took him a while just to clean the floors and windows. He will have to choose another time to clear the desk and the bookshelf next to his bed.

Sojiro came up as Ren was eating his dinner. Simply to tell him that he's leaving and locking up for the night, but expressed surprise that Ren took the time to actually clean his room.

Ren finishes brushing his teeth and heads for bed. He turns off the attic's lights and settles into bed.

Ren is still not looking forward to the days ahead, but he decided to go through with it, for his mother.

*Pi Pi Pi*

Ren grabs his phone out of his pocket and unlocks it. “It's that app from this afternoon. I thought I deleted it.” As Ren attempts to delete it, his eyelids get heavy. He tries to keep them open enough to delete the app before it can do anything to his phone. But he fails. His eyes close and drift into unconsciousness.

 

* * * * *

 

**?????**

 

Ren wakes up in what looks like a prison cell, covered in blue. He can hear chains rattling and water dripping from the cell's toilet. He sits up on his bed and tries to remember how he got here, with the last thing he remembers is him falling asleep in his room. He begins to panic. _How did I get here? Was I kidnapped? Did I die in my sleep? What is happening?_

“Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world.” Ren hears an elderly voice say. “I have summoned you within your dreams.”

Ren looks to the outside of the cell, its door is open. He sees a wide-open room outside of the cell. And in the centre of the room, he sees an old man sitting at the desk. He has bulging eyes, his grin literally reaching from ear to ear and he has the longest nose Ren had ever seen in his life.

Standing next to the desk was a young looking girl with golden eyes in a blue dress. She has long platinum hair wrapped in a blue headband. She is also holding an absurdly large book in her arms that looks like it will slip out at any moment.

 _What on earth is going on?_ Ren asks himself, not know what could happen next.

“Welcome Trickster,” the bizarre old man says, “to the Velvet Room.”

 

#  _À Suivre_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cross-posted on FF.net & Spacebattles.com
> 
> I'm sorry this Chapter took so damn long to write. The past two months felt like I was back in high school, spending time on the internet and playing video games instead of studying and doing homework. It's true when they say 'Old habits die hard'. 
> 
> This chapter was also meant to have been a little longer but the issue I had above, not to mention several re-writes of scenes within this chapter, so I decided to shorten this chapter. 
> 
> But from this point on, I will promise more consistent updates.


	3. Act 2: The Velvet Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for uploading a short chapter and sorry for not updating in 2 months. I did plan on updating sooner but I was too busy preparing for Shadowbringers. And now that it's released, it will take up most of my attention for the next couple of months. And I won't be able to update until I clear the Savage raids, which are coming out at the end of July.
> 
> However, I still plan on updating this story, and I plan on seeing this to its conclusion. And when I clear Eden Savage, I will get to updating this story. So until then, here is a short chapter.

“Welcome Trickster, to the Velvet Room,” greets the bizarre old man.

Ren looks at the old man and young girl with a look of confusion. They told him that this is his dreams but he felt too lucid for this to be a dream. _Why did he call me Trickster?_

“My name is Igor, I am delighted to make your acquaintance,” he gestures to the young girl. “And this is Lavenza. she is a resident here, like myself.”

The small girl gave Ren a soft smile and bowed, “My name is Lavenza. My job is to accompany you through your journey.”

Ren approaches them with caution. He had so many questions to ask.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter,” Igor informs Ren. “It's been quite some time since we've last had a guest.”

“Guest?” Ren finally says.

Igor simply chuckles and continues, “Normally, only those who are bound by a contract may enter the Velvet Room.” Igor looks around the room, “This is curious though, to think that it would take the form of a prison.”

This confuses Ren even further. If he was a resident here, why would he be surprised at its appearance?

Sensing his confusion, Lavenza speaks up, “The Velvet Room's appearance reflects the state of the heart of its guest. So, with you as its guest, it has taken the form of a prison.” Her tone saddens as she explains.

“My heart is a prison?” Ren asks, still struggling to comprehend what is going on, “I don't understand.”

“It may take some time for you to fully understand,” Igor reassures Ren. “However, the reason I summoned you here is to discuss matters of utmost importance,” Igor says, never breaking his smile, “matters that will decide your future.”

“What matters?” Ren asks with concern.

“This world is not as it should be, it is filled with distortion,” Lavenza explains. “If this distortion is left as is, the world will succumb to ruin.”

“Ruin?” Ren asks, still slightly confused, but has an idea of what they'll say next.

“Ruin is the calamity that will mark the end of everything,” Igor answers, making Ren nervous. His heart rate and breathing once again speed up.

“The end of everything? Why the hell are you telling me this and not someone who is capable of stopping this 'ruin'?” Ren asks, hoping he doesn't get another vague answer.

“Because whether or not the world succumbs to ruin, depends on you,” Igor answers. Ren's eyes widen in response.

“Me? How am I meant to stop the end of the world?” Ren asks Igor, making no attempt to calm himself.

“In the coming days, you will enter a contract of some sort, after which you will return here.” Igor answering in a vague manner yet again.

 _Why is he being so cryptic?_ “You're still asking a lot from me,” says Ren.

“I am aware that you will be unable to do such a feat alone, that is why you will require our assistance, as well as the help of other individuals like yourself,” Igor explains. This arouses Ren's curiosity.

“What do you mean?” Ren asks.

“I'm afraid we will have to attend to the details another time.” At that moment, loud bells begin to ring. At the same time, Ren's body begins to feel heavy. He feels more tired than he has ever felt and feels like he will fall asleep at any moment. “Until then, farewell.” After Ren hears that, darkness overtakes him and drifts back into unconsciousness.  
  
 ** _À Suivre_**

 

*Crossposted on FF.Net and Spacebattles

 


End file.
